Autumn has officially arrived, bringing with it a vibrant transformation in landscapes and garden designs across New Jersey. Garden enthusiasts and designers Ellen Goldfarb and Tracy Buttrick have returned to share another wave of breathtaking seasonal displays, highlighting how creative container gardening can completely redefine outdoor spaces during the cooler months. This latest showcase focuses heavily on Tracy Buttrick’s expert autumn container designs, featuring imaginative arrangements tailored for narrow front porches, driveways, and magnificent entrances framed by golden ginkgo trees.
The inspiration for these seasonal transformations lies in blending height, rich texture, and unexpected plant combinations. For gardeners working within the constraints of tight urban or suburban footprints, finding the right balance of plants that offer vertical interest without overwhelming a small space can be a challenge. Buttrick addresses this head-on with a striking arrangement designed for a narrow front porch located in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey.
To achieve the necessary verticality in such a restricted space, the Ho-Ho-Kus porch container relies on a clever selection of height-building annuals and perennials. The structure is anchored by broom corn, scientifically known as Sorghum bicolor, alongside yellow winterberries (Ilex verticillata, hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 9) and the whimsical, aptly named pumpkins-on-a-stick (Solanum aethiopicum). These botanical elements create an immediate vertical focal point that draws the eye upward, maximizing the visual impact of a compact entryway.
Adding a layer of rich, jewel-toned color to the arrangement is the beloved ‘Mona Lavender’ plectranthus (Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’, suited for Zones 9 through 11). While designers frequently turn to this cultivar for its striking purple flowers, it can occasionally prove difficult to source during certain growing seasons. Although well-suited for shade gardens, this particular plectranthus naturally times its blooming cycle to coincide with shorter daylight hours, making it an ideal companion for autumn displays. The mix is further rounded out with ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea cultivars), purple sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), and trailing Algerian ivy (Hedera algeriensis, hardy in Zones 7 through 11), which softens the edges of the pot as it cascades downward.
Moving from narrow porches to more expansive spaces, Buttrick’s container designs also demonstrate how to elevate driveway and side-entry aesthetics. Another featured autumn pot incorporates a dynamic blend of green and brown millet, vibrant orange winterberry, more of the elusive ‘Mona Lavender’ plectranthus, and spiked celosia (Celosia argentea var. spicata). To amplify the seasonal warmth, the designer integrated ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum), classic autumn mums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium, Zones 5 through 9), additional cabbage, and hardy heather (Calluna vulgaris, Zones 4 through 8). This rich layering of textures and fiery tones captures the very essence of the harvest season, welcoming visitors with a lively explosion of color.
A particularly dramatic application of Buttrick’s container artistry can be found at an estate in Saddle River, New Jersey. There, a pair of matching containers was curated to anchor the end of a magnificent, tree-lined entranceway featuring an allée of ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba, Zones 4 through 9). These side-entry pots feature a vibrant mix of orange and yellow winterberries, ‘Jade Princess’ millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Jade Princess’), pumpkins-on-a-stick, ornamental peppers, ‘Snow Princess’ sweet alyssum (Lobularia ‘Inlbusnopr’), and cabbage.
The visual payoff of these containers is magnified exponentially by their surroundings. As autumn deepens in Saddle River, the towering ginkgo allée undergoes its famous seasonal transformation, casting a brilliant canopy of golden-yellow foliage over the property. The warm tones of the containers echo the luminous gold of the overhead tree canopy, creating a cohesive, high-end landscape presentation that exemplifies the peak of autumn design in the region.
This seasonal showcase offers gardeners plenty of inspiration for transitioning their own outdoor spaces from the lazy days of summer to the crisp, colorful embrace of fall. As the series continues, upcoming features will turn the spotlight toward Ellen Goldfarb’s cutting garden, offering even more insight into the work of these talented New Jersey designers. Gardeners looking to participate in the ongoing seasonal celebration can submit their own landscape photos and stories through community sharing platforms, ensuring that the appreciation for thoughtful garden design continues to grow season after season.
